Verdicts and Settlements

$60.9 Million Verdict for Brain-Injured Baby

Led by partner Deborah J. Gander, the firm in 2005 obtained $60.9 million in injury compensation, the largest amount ever awarded in a Federal Tort Claims Act case in the country. Federal Judge Jose A. Gonzalez found the Obstetrics Clinic in Mayport Naval Station in Jacksonville, Florida, liable for medical negligence in the delivery of a brain-injured baby.

Our class action team achieved a $100 million settlement from Service Corporation International (SCI), a national funeral company, and its subsidiary, Menorah Gardens Cemetery. The case alleged that the companies buried families in the wrong graves, and the company agreed to compensate for the families’ grievances and provide in-kind services.

Lion Air Flight 610 Update: Investigators Release Preliminary Crash ReportOn October 29, 2018, a Lion Air flight traveling from Jakarta, Indonesia to Pangkal Pinang crashed into the Java Sea after experiencing a flight control problem minutes after departure. There were no survivors. The Republic of Indonesia’s Komite Nasional Keselamatan Transportasi (KNKT) recently published a preliminary report about Lion Air ...

NHTSA Investigates General Motors Over Faulty Braking SystemAccording to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), more than 2.7 million General Motors (GM) vehicles could be affected by deteriorating brake assist vacuum pumps. After receiving 111 complaints about 2014, 2015 and 2016 truck and SUV models, NHTSA has launched an ...

Marriott Discloses 500 Million Guests Affected by Starwood’s Database HackAccording to Marriott’s press release, Starwood’s guest reservation database was hacked. On September 8, 2018, Marriott International received an internal alert about an unauthorized user attempting to access the Starwood guest reservation database. Since then, investigators found copied and encrypted information from an authorized user. ...

Another Hip Implant System Stirs Up Lawsuits

In addition to the DePuy hip replacement system, another hip implant is making headlines for the wrong reasons. Alleged defective Wright Profemur hip replacement systems have led to a product liability lawsuit in federal court. The Michigan plaintiff claims the hip implant failed less than three years after doctors installed it, according to aboutlawsuits.com.

The plaintiff had the hip implanted in January 2008. In November 2010, part of the implant broke and he needed another surgery to replace the implant system. His lawsuit accuses the manufacturers of defective design, negligence, fraud and breach of warranty, among other claims.

It appears other patients have experienced similar problems with the device, as lawsuits against the manufacturer are springing up across the country. All allege a portion of the implant broke causing severe pain and requiring additional surgery.

The Wright Profemur hip implant got on the market through the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) 510(k) approval process. Under the 510(k) program, the Wright Medical Group was able to begin marketing the hip implant system without going through strict testing of the device. The reason is that the device was substantially similar to another device already on the market.

Medical experts have criticized the FDA’s 510(k) program as unsafe and irresponsible. Critics say that today’s medical devices are too complicated to bypass clinical trials and go straight to market.

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(*) Disclaimer: All verdicts and settlements listed here are gross amounts before deductions for attorney fees and costs. Past results do not guarantee similar results in the future. Most cases result in a lower recovery. It should not be assumed that your case will have as beneficial a result.